Brian Myers

INTRODUCTION AND CRITICISM

Throughout history, music has been an intricate part of man's
existence. Music is an element found in cultures worldwide and through the
ages. Perhaps as long as man has been at battle, he has also used music to aid
him in that endeavor. The trumpet has held mystical qualities since the
beginning of time. "The Greek trumpet rightfully shared honors with the
spear of Achilles and the chariot of Agamemnon in the conquest of ancient
Troy" (Ruckel 1971, 49). The military has augmented and refined its use of
music in both the practical and aesthetic. The effective employment of
certain styles of music can be used efficiently in performing military
functions, and persuasively in creating desired feelings and emotions in both
military and civilian environments.
The use of music in the military has often been unpopular with
military leaders. Union Colonel Daniel Harvey Hill told a Civil War
infantryman, "Shooters, not tooters, are required in this service," in reply to a
request for transfer to duty as a bandsman (Ruckel 1971, 49). The cost of
maintaining military bands is also a question raised by the funding
government. On December 5, 1861, the US. Paymaster General reported that
the regimental bands were "far more ornamental than useful" at an annual
cost of $5 million to the Federal Government. This was not the first, nor
would it be the last time military bands in the United States would be reduced
or eliminated. "While the military high command, from ancient Spartan
generals to present-day officers, have condemned military bands on the
charge of uselessness, there is ample historical evidence that his view is
unwarranted" (49). Upon reviewing the Confederate Army, General Robert
E. Lee commented, "I don't believe we can have an army without music" (49).… (mere)